Sniper kills Egyptian soldier in the Sinai

ISMAILIA, Egypt - A sniper shot dead an Egyptian soldier in the Sinai Peninsula, security sources said on Sunday, a region where al Qaida-linked fighters have stepped up attacks on security forces since the army deposed elected Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on July 3.

The soldier was killed late on Saturday while on guard at a security checkpoint in the town of al Qusayma, the sources said.

On Saturday morning another Egyptian soldier was shot dead in the Sinai and militants released a video showing attacks against the army in the area, which is close to Israel and the Gaza strip.

An army spokesman said on September 15 that more than 100 members of the security forces had been killed in Sinai since Morsi's downfall.

The militants expanded into a security vacuum left by the 2011 downfall of veteran autocrat Hosni Mubarak. Since Morsi was ousted, they have mounted almost daily attacks.